The Best NYC Shows This Week: Lauren Flax, Muuy Biien, Sigur Rós

June 12, 2017

It’s Pride month, and we recommend you go out dancing. One good place to do that this week is at Baby’s All Right on Saturday night, where New York’s own genre-hopping house DJ Lauren Flax will be on the decks. If you’re craving a darker vibe, head to the hip Bushwick bar Jupiter Disco for Person of Interest, a DJ on the venerable local electronic label L.I.E.S. But for those who feel like just chilling, head to Forest Hills in Queens to catch Icelandic orchestral post-rock heroes Sigur Rós in a stripped down setting.

Jupiter Disco is one of the many new spots in North Brooklyn satiating the swell of enthusiasm for electronic music that’s blossomed in the city over the last few years. The stylish, neon-lit bar sits on Flushing Avenue in Bushwick, walking distance from the borough’s other best intimate dance music space, Bossa Nova Civic Club. This night, L.I.E.S. artist Person of Interest will play his claustrophobic, diffuse house, which is probably better suited to hanging out in a dark corner than to dancing. Thankfully, Jupiter Disco has plenty of those.

Land of Talk, Half WaifBowery Ballroom9 p.m., $18

The Montreal indie rock group Land of Talk returned this May with their first new record in seven years. Life After Youth finds the band sonically back where it started, with strongly written songs, heart-tugging vocals, and lyrics by bandleader Elizabeth Powell. Powell’s feelings are opaque here, but the longing and wistfulness accumulated during her long break from music — during which she took care of her ailing father — is palpable. Land of Talk will backed up by Half Waif, a mystical, contemplative electropop project that heralds good things for musician Nandi Rose Plunkett.

Man Forever, Celestial ShoreBrooklyn Music School8 p.m., $12

New York drummer John Colpitts has for years played music as Man Forever during time off from his main gig as the drummer of indie rock group Oneida. Somehow, he’s consistently flown under the radar of the independent music scene even as he’s made friends and collaborated with some of its biggest players. His music can range from bombastic to intricate to just plain bizarre. His new LP, released on Thrill Jockey, features excellent collaborations with both Yo La Tengo and Laurie Anderson, underscoring his work’s expansiveness and his knowledge of contemporary classical and jazz. If you’re looking for an underrated artist, Man Forever is a solid pick.

If you know Elvis Costello’s music, you’re either a fan, or you aren’t. For some, Costello is the ultimate singer-songwriter, someone who broke new ground as a forward-thinking punk-oriented nasal-voiced kid and went on to write some of the best songs of the Eighties. His intensity may have waned in recent years, but age has seen Costello grow and mature. Even if you hate his last few albums, this outdoor, early-summer show will be a lovely way to see some of your favorite classics performed.

Bonnie Baxter makes art that’s deeply, disturbingly personal. The experimental electronic and visual artist is known best for creating music out of recordings of her mother, who has Tourette’s syndrome and OCD. Her music as Kill Alters is paired with glitched-out videos taken by her mother during Baxter’s childhood. Baxter has said the project helped her dig up childhood memories she’d forgotten. She’ll play this week at the newly reopened Secret Project Robot — if you haven’t been yet, this is a great excuse to check it out.

Spit, Dead Soft, Bears, Phyllis OpheliaSunnyvale8 p.m., $10

Spit are a rock band composed of two brothers and one of their friends. Their intimacy is easy to sense in their laid-back, comfortable music, which brings to mind Nineties groups like Built to Spill. Their songs perfectly balance noise and stillness, jamming and plucking. They’ll be a good band to see at the low-key East Williamsburg spot Sunnyvale while sipping a few cheap beers. It’s sure to be a sweaty night, but if you don’t feel like hanging out in the pit, Spit would sound just as good if you’re chilling in the back.

The producer George Clanton makes expansive electronic pop influenced by Eighties sounds. His big drum beats and vintage synth sounds are reminiscent of artists like John Maus, who take on new wave–like pop from a slightly distorted angle. But Clanton, who has worked in the dubious vaporwave meme-genre in the past, is more accessible and less afraid to go all the way into pop territory. His tracks are maximalist, exploding into colorful, exuberant climaxes. For someone who has lurked in some of the strangest corners of the Internet, Clanton makes songs that manage to be truly anthemic, something anyone can enjoy. He’ll play the second week of the VISUALS VISUALS art and music residency at Knockdown Center.

If you’ve wondered why little rainbow flags are slowly taking over your Facebook feed, it’s because June is Pride month. That means it’s time to hit up some sweet dance parties. This monthly shindig at Williamsburg hangout Baby’s All Right is always a good time, but any party that caters to the queer community automatically levels up. This time, the party has the respected Brooklyn DJ Lauren Flax on the decks. Flax is a house music guru who draws influences from the full spectrum of electronic music. Most importantly, she’s fun to dance to, and at this party, that’s the goal.

Sigur RósForest Hills Stadium7 p.m., $49.50–$99.50

The Icelandic band Sigur Rós are known for their epic, emotionally arresting sonic works, which often build slowly over the course of many minutes. They make the ultimate stoner music: something to listen to as you lie on your back and watch the sky, letting your imagination wander. On this tour, the band will be stripped of many of its embellishments, playing as only a three-piece, without the orchestral accompaniment that usually surrounds its work. They are also playing without an opener, and will perform two sets of music that spans their career. If you’re a fan, this show is unmissable, and if you’ve never heard them, this should be a great introduction.

Muuy Biien, Material GirlsUnion Pool8 p.m., $10–$12

The Athens, Georgia, group Muuy Biien have been together for nearly a decade, but they’re just now coming into the spotlight. After years of playing an updated take on hardcore, they went in a different direction with their most recent album, 2016’s Age of Uncertainty. Their new songs are tightly written, sludgy garage rock reminiscent of some of the best acolytes of San Francisco groups like Ty Segall. The bluesy tilt to their new sound gives their rock a distinctive edge.

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